Marathon

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by Marco Steybe

Halfmarathon

Have you ever wanted to run a marathon, but you frightened away from the huge distance? Were you scared not to be strong enough and collapse during the race, or were you just afraid not to finish the event? What about you start with half the distance and I prepare you for it in about four month?
The halfmarathon is 21.1 km long and an ideal intermediate station on the way to your first marathon. If your goal is once to run a marathon, then you should prepare yourself thorough for it. This program will help you in getting ready for your first halfmarathon in only four month. The training-schedule shouldn’t be taken over rigid. Everyone has his individual strengths and weaknesses, which have to be considered in composing a preparation-program. The according program is divided into three sections:

Chime-in-stage (about 6 weeks)
Basis-stage (about 7 weeks)
Competition-stage (about 5 weeks)

Chime-in-stage:

In the first preparation phase it is important to keep range and intensity of practice low. If you already run too fast and practice too hard it is possible that your body gets overloaded and your shape develops too early.

Practice of the first stage (about 6 weeks) includes:

*method of training*	form-effect
jogging (regenerative/ easy/ medium)	endurance
stretching	agility
strength gymnastics/ power workouts	strength
striders	harmonization
biking/ swimming/ inline-skating	endurance/ strength
all kinds of games	strength/ speed

Allow yourself once a week a sauna or a massage or just a warm, relaxing bath ...

Example of a practice week:

*day*	method of training	form-effect
MO	sauna/ massage/ Jacuzzi	recovery
TU	30-50 min jogging (easy-medium)	endurance
WE	rest	recovery
TH	10 min jogging (warm-up)/ stretching strength gymnastics/ power workouts 3-5 striders (about 100m) 5 min jogging (cool-down)	agility strength speed
FR	rest	recovery
SA	50-80 min jogging (regenerative) start with 50 min and add 5 min every week stretching	endurance agility
SU	rest or biking/ swimming/ inline skating	recovery or endurance/ strength

Basis-stage:

The first six weeks follows the seven-week basis-stage. Now intensity of practice should successively be raised. You will make a profit out of running on soft surface, because through that the front thigh is considerable more loaded (on soft surface the striking power of the feet cannot act the same as on asphalt). The efficiency that the muscles gain during such a workout will help you at the end of a halfmarathon, when the calves and the feet fight against tiredness. But from time to time you should still run on asphalt, for fear that you lose this ability. Halfmarathons are run mostly on asphalt.
In the basis-stage it is helpful to run up to two short races (5-10 km). In order to be able to run the competition as long as possible in the steady state – in this state, the oxygen-consumption is the same as the oxygen-supply – you should now do speed play once a week.

The speed play:
This form of workout has its origin in Scandinavia and it is a play with different paces. Through this change of running swiftness, you increase your endurance, speed and a little bit of strength. In the Swedish speed play, speed is adapted to the terrain, including hills. You may vary the distance, duration, or intensity. In the Polish speed play distance and recoveries are given. Recoveries may be expressed in seconds and minutes, or in a range which you have to jog or walk slowly.
Each speed play has to precede a 10 min warm-up run with a following stretching. Of course afterwards you have to run an easy cool-down, in order that the accumulated tire substances are removed faster.
In a week where you participate in a competition, you shouldn’t run do speed play. The main task of the basis-stage is to build up reserves for the competition-stage.

Example of a practice week:

*day*	method of training	form-effect
MO	10 min warm-up/ stretching speed play^* 10 min cool-down	endurance/ speed/ strength
TU	rest or jogging (regenerative) 30-50 min or biking/ swimming/ inline-skating	recovery or endurance/ strength
WE	rest	recovery
TH	10 min warm-up/ stretching strength gymnastics/ power workouts 5 striders (about 100m) 5-10 min cool-down	endurance/ strength/ agility speed
FR	rest	recovery
SA	60-100 min jogging (regenerative) stretching	endurance agility
SU	rest or biking/ swimming/ inline skating or games (basketball, soccer, tennis, hockey)	recovery or endurance/ strength or speed/ strength

^* Example of a speed play workout:
Swedish speed play: free running in the country. Range, intensity and recoveries are determined by your own feelings. Range 30 sec-5 min, repetitions 6-8 with walking or trotting recoveries, adjusted to the country. Pulse: intensity about 70-90% of your maximum pulse (maximum pulse = 220 - age).
Polish speed play: pace-change is determined by your stopwatch, for example 30sec/ 60sec/ 90sec/ 2min/ 3min/ 2min/ 90sec/ 60sec/ 30sec with walking or trotting recoveries of equal times. Pulse: intensity about 70-90% of your maximum pulse.

Competition-stage:
In the competition-stage you should run lie before about two to three endurance runs, one of them about 80-120 minutes. Next to the speed play workout you should now try to become familiar with your race pace. This form of practice teaches you to run in your ideal competition-pace and to use your muscles economically.
To determine your race pace you have to know your anaerobic threshold. To find out your anaerobic threshold you can do a simple test: you run an exactly 10 km span. Through the measured time you can calculate your anaerobic threshold. Example: time of the 10K-race is 50 minutes; average per kilometer is 5 minutes, which is equal to 100% of the individual intensity-load of the runner. With these results you can calculate certain running paces:

*method of training*	intensity	pace
endurance run slow	5 min + 15-20%	5’45-6 min
endurance run medium	5 min + 10-15%	5’30-5’45 min
endurance run fast	5 min + 5%	5’15 min
halfmarathon – race pace	5 min + 5-7%	5’15-5’21 min

The easiest part of the preparation program is the competition week itself. In these last days you cannot catch up any neglected practices. The last four days before the big race you should only do a few easy runs.

Example of a practice week during the competition-stage:

*day*	method of training	form-effect
MO	10 min warm-up/ stretching speed play 10 min cool-down	endurance/ speed/ strength
TU	jogging (easy) 30 min/ stretching 15 min strength gymnastics for your upper body/ 4-5 striders	strength/ agility speed
WE	rest	recovery
TH	10 min warm-up/ stretching 5 min race pace/ 5 min easy/ 5 min race pace/ 5 min easy/ 5 min race pace/ 5 min easy/ 5 min race pace/ 10 min cool-down	endurance
FR	rest	recovery
SA	80-120 min jogging (easy) stretching	endurance agility
SU	rest or biking/ swimming/ inline skating	recovery or endurance/ strength

Example of a competition week:

*day*	method of training	form-effect
MO	rest	recovery
TU	speed play	endurance/ strength
WE	jogging (easy) 30-40 min	endurance
TH	rest	recovery
FR	jogging (easy) 30 min/ stretching 5 striders	endurance/ agility speed
SA	halfmarathon – competition
SU	rest or biking/ swimming/ inline skating (easy)	recovery

Lots of fun and good luck!

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